


Gisaeng 기생

by apertedevue



Category: painter of the night - Fandom, yahwacheop - Fandom, 야화첩 | Painter of the Night (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, Omegaverse, kisaeng
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:29:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25511368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apertedevue/pseuds/apertedevue
Summary: Nakyum is an omega born from a kisaeng mother and a government official who eventually abandoned them. He grew up to be well known for his beauty and his talents in painting and dancing. His mother tried to shield him from any exposure to the upper class society who sees them, Omegas and Kisaeng, as nothing more than third class citizens. She refuses to have him go on the same path she took. But when his cousin, Nakyoung, is chosen to be one of the scholar-official’s concubines and subsequently gets marked by her lover the day before she was set to leave for Hanyang, he endeavors to protect her life -- by putting his on the line.
Relationships: Baek Nakyum/Yoon Seungho
Comments: 8
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

The Crown Prince surveys the women and men brought to the capital. “These are?” He asks as he raises a brow at the hoards of people being brought into the palace.

“The gisaeng the King asked to be brought to the palace, your highness.”

“What?” The Crown Prince’s younger brother, Yoon Seungwon, asks in confusion and apparent displeasure.

One of the eunuchs answer. “King Yeongsangun ordered that a thousand women and men from the provinces be brought in to serve as palace entertainers, your highness.”

Nakyum frowns as he listens to the decree of the King. He surveys the other Gisaeng with him and they look equally stunned to hear their fate. Lies, they were all lies. They were led to believe that they would be off to some scholar-bureaucrat, when they are just being pawned off to the king, to palace officials as entertainers.


	2. Switch

The gisaeng—often referred to as kisaeng—were highly-trained artist women who entertained men with music, conversation, and poetry. Highly skilled gisaeng served in the royal court, while others worked in the homes of the "yangban"—or scholar-officials.

To some degree, some gisaeng were women from outcast or slave families who were trained to be courtesans, providing sexual services to men of the upper class, as well as providing entertainment and conversation.

The Baek Gisaeng House in the province north of the capital endeavored to preserve the honor of their kisaeng women and men. No man was allowed to disrespect or abuse any courtesan. The women and men in the house were treated with respect and given opportunities to hone their skills. Nakyum had always thought things were always going to be as peaceful as they are now.

Nakyum and his cousin, Nakyoung, have always been close. Both their mothers were kisaengs and this meant that they grew up in the Kisaeng house, with Nakyoung trained to be one herself and Nakyum to help with the house’s affairs.

Nakyum is an omega born from a kisaeng mother and a government official who eventually abandoned them. Growing up, he became praised for his beauty and often caught the fancy of others-- from commoners like themselves, to scholars. His mother tried very hard to shield him from any exposure to the upper class society who see them as nothing more than third class citizens. She refuses to have him go on the same path she took and let him indulge in skills and interests he wanted.

Nakyum bites on his apple as he watches his cousin pack her clothes.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” She asks when he flicks one seed at her.

“I’m done with my studies, how about you? Don’t you have anything better to do than fold clothes?”

“I’m not just folding them.” She says wistfully and Nakyum shoots his brows up at her. “The men that came earlier, they’re from the capital.”

Nakyum frowns, unsure where this is going. “And?”

“Nakyum, I have to go fulfill my official duties.”

“Official duties?” Nakyum rises from his bed.

“That’s right. As Kisaeng.”

“Your official duties as government servants are not for civil service, Nakyoung!”

“Stop it, Nakyum-ah!”

“Didnt you say you would never dream of becoming a government official’s entertainer?!” He finds it unfortunate and infuriating that even though he had the same status as Nakyoung, his cousin was being sent to the capital as a scholar-official’s courtesan.

“We’re bound to those roles by heritage, Nakyum. We can never, ever escape the situation we were born into. King Yeongsangun--” Nakyum’s ears go red from anger.

“He’s a tyrant and he doesn’t deserve to be King. Nakyoung, listen to yourself!”

“Nakyum--” She sighs and clasps his hands into her own. “I’m a gisaeng.” She laughs. “Not only that, I’m an omega gisaeng.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means the best lot I can get in life is to be part of the King’s Heaven--” The King instituted a formal hierarchy among Kisaengs in the palace, dividing them into "Heaven", those with whom he slept with, and "Earth", those who served other functions. “So I guess being a scholar’s concubine is better than being a wrinkly King’s kisaeng?” She tries to laugh it off but Nakyum can see through her.

He knows the next question will strike a chord, but he goes for it anyway. “What about Donghyuk then? You’re just going to forget about him?”

“That’s--” She pauses. “Not necessarily what’s going to happen. He and I can write to each other.”

“Donghyuk can’t do anything to a scholar-official. He’ll be forced to let you go. You won’t even get to step foot outside the capital. He hasn’t marked you yet either, Nakyoung, so there’s no bond between the two of you.” Nakyoung frowns but subsequently turns to him with a forced smile.

“Nakyum, I think you should go.” He sighs. “Aunt is probably looking for you too.”

\----

Nakyum eyes the palaquin that Nakyoung has to ride on the way to the Hanyang. He gulps as he clutches the purple cheolik he’s wearing. It’s similar to Nakyoung’s purple hanbok. He breathes in and rushes to where Nakyoung is getting ready.

His eyes follow the people congratulating their families for the honor of being asked by a scholar-official to become his “wife”. He sees Donghyuk from the side, eyes dim and expression unreadable. Idiot. Nakyum thinks.

Donghyuk came up to him last night, hands shaking and forehead sweating profusely.

“Nakyum--”

“Don’t come near me--” He warns. “You--”

“It just happened.”

“Don’t lie to me. You’re in a rut!”

“I know and--” Despite his panic, Donhyuk looks rejuvenated, almost glowing and Nakyum’s eyes widen at the implication.

“What about Nakyoung?”

“--” Donghyuk nods.

“Unbelievable--”

“Nakyum--”

“If the palace finds out-- if that scholar--” Nakyoung won’t ever go into heat with anyone else other than Donghyuk. Worse, she would find mating with another alpha or any other person unbearable and painful.

“Were you even thinking?”

“I wasn’t! Okay? I was just so depressed and angry about the entire thing that when Nakyoung came to my room tonight--”

“Wait what?” Nakyum pauses in his worry. “She came to you?” Nakyum closes his eyes and breathes deeply. “That cunning little--”

“What, Nakyum, what?”

“Relax, Donghyuk, I’ll think of something.” Nakyum shakes his head as he lets Donghyuk enter his house.

\---

The palaquin halts at the forest shade. The men and women accompanying Nakyoung all take the time to rest and Nakyum takes this chance to open the palaquin and push Nakyoung out.

“Nakyum!” Nakyoung says in hushed panic. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard from Donghyuk--”

“I’m going to the capital--”

“You’re going to be killed!!!”

“I’m prepared to die!”

“And your mate? Nakyum asks softly. “You’ll be fine if he lives on without you?”

“Then what should I do?” Nakyoung’s eyes are wide with panic. “What should I do, Nakyum-ah?”

Nakyum clasps her hands in his. “I’ll go in your stead.”

“Nakyum, they’ll find out.”

“No, they only asked for one kisaeng from our village. They did not specify who--”

“What about the servants? What if the official sees a painting of me and takes one look at you--”

“Hey-- we’re often told we look alike, right?” Nakyum smiles and tries to reassure the shaking omega in front of him even when he could barely keep himself calm.

Nakyoung scoffs. “You know they always said you were far prettier.”

“Then the scholar official will be glad to have me.” Nakyum says confidently but his words make Nakyoung burst into tears.

“I’m so sorry, Nakyum--”

“Shh-- it’s okay--”

“If I hadn’t pretended to be brave, maybe they would have asked someone else--”

“It’s all done now.” He soothes again. They hear the conversation of the servants halt and Nakyum turns to her. “Please, hurry, Nakyoung--”

\--

The ride was quiet but long and tiring. The first half was spent trying to calm himself down, the second-- trying to distract himself with the new surroundings and cities they passed. The final hour was just pure agony for Nakyum as the long journey had just worn him out.

“Lady Kisaeng--” One of the servants knocked on the door, shaking Nakyum’s weariness away.

“Ah-- hmm?” He replies, barely being able to conceal his masculine voice.

“You may look outside, we are already in the capital.”

Nakyum slightly parts the curtains and peeks through the screen door.

“It’s your first time in Hanyang, is it not?”

“Ah-- hmm.” He replies again. The servant must find him odd now, but Nakyum can’t risk being found out so early.

“Welcome to the capital, then.”

Nakyum blinks. “The Capital”. Never in his life did he wish to go here. All he wanted to do was help his mother at the gisaeng house and paint for the townsfolk. He wanted to be far removed from the capital where depravity, politics, and social classes were at its worst. He draws the curtain and closes his eyes.

“You’ll survive, Nakyum-ah.” He tells himself as he pats his chest soothingly.

\--

Nakyum hasn’t even alighted properly from the palaquin and found his footing yet when he gets herded by a man in eunuch robes.

“Is this the gisaeng from the Baek house?” He asks and the servant nods.  
Nakyum snaps out of his daze and takes a good look at his surroundings. “Excuse me, sir.” He calls out. The eunuch turns to him. “Why-- are we in the palace?”

“What do you mean, gisaeng?”

“Ah, I thought i was to be sent off to a scholar official--” Nakyum catches the shift in the eunuch’s eyes.

“Ah!” He scratches his head. “Well, before you meet your scholar-official, you’d be having an audience with the king first. Now come, let us hurry to the palace.”

Nakyum’s brows furrow. Why in the world would the king need to grant audience to a kisaeng who will serve a scholar official?

\--

Nakyum follows the eunuch to one of the outer palaces when another eunuch approaches him. “Sir!”

“What is it? Why are you in a rush?”

“The- the prince--”

“What?”

“He and Prince Seungwon came back early from their hunt--”

The older eunuch tsks and walks faster before ultimately telling Nakyum to patiently wait in one of the rooms.

\--

Nakyum’s eyes widen at the amount of people in the room he had been ushered in. The others in the room all trained their eyes on him as well. They were all silent for a few seconds until a woman approaches him.

“Are you a kisaeng too?” Nakyum barely nods. “What in the world is happening! I was told I would be sent to a learned scholar!” The room becomes abuzz with confusion.

Another woman approaches them. “I was told I would be granted an audience with the King.”

Nakyum closes his eyes. “Does that make sense for you?”

\---

The Crown Prince surveys the women and men brought to the capital. “These are?” He asks as he raises a brow at the hoard of people brought into the palace entry.

“The gisaeng the King asked to be brought to the palace, your highness.”

“What?” The Crown Prince’s younger brother, Yoon Seungwon, asks in confusion and apparent displeasure.

One of the eunuchs answer. “King Yeongsangun ordered that a thousand women and men from the provinces be brought in to serve as palace entertainers, your highness.”

Nakyum frowns as he listens to the decree of the King. He surveys the other Gisaeng with him and they look equally stunned to hear their fate. Lies, they were all lies. They were led to believe that they would be off to some scholar-bureaucrat, when they are just being pawned off to the king, to palace officials as entertainers.

“Does that make sense?” Seungwon shouts and Nakyum thinks it’s weird that he finds comfort in the fact that the son doesn’t seem to agree with his father’s will. “Where is Jung Yeonggam*?!”

“Daegam*, calm down.” Crown Prince Seungho sighs.

“Jeoha!” Seungwon turns to him. “Do you know of this--”

“Let us talk to the King first, before we interfere.” He turns to the eunuch. “These are all-- omegas?” The eunuch answers affirmatively and the Crown Prince nods. “Very well. Keep them in the next palace for now. We shall attend to them later.” He instructs and turns away with his younger brother trailing behind him, obviously still distraught.

The rest of the day becomes a blur for Nakyum. They have been made to stand under the heat for too long, then transported inside a section of the palace too small for 100 men and women.

“What’s going to happen to us?!” One woman, probably in her late 20’s says hysterically.

“I thought I was promised to a scholar!” Another kisaeng, a man this time, chimes in.

“Did you not hear the eunuch a while ago? We’re to serve the king!” Another argues. “That is an honor!”

“Or the king’s men! Without being given appropriate titles!”

“We’ll be passed around like whores--”

Nakyum swallows the bile in his throat. All he could think of is how thankful he is to be the one in this situation, and not Nakyoung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEONGGAM: an honorific title for second-level and third-level civil servants  
> DAEGAM: grand prince, the son of the king and queen consort, not entitled to be crown prince.  
> SEJA JOHA/JOHA: crown prince  
> PALANQUIN: a portable bed or couch, open or enclosed, that is mounted on two poles and carried at each end on the shoulders of porters or by animals.  
> CHEOLIK: a gown for men


End file.
